On The Corn Pollen Trail With Deb Haaland

In the morning, before sunrise, I pray with corn pollen in my right hand. The corn was harvested from red clay soil in the fields of the Zuni Mountains, where my Pueblo relatives live and pray in the same way. At an early age, I was taught that a corn-pollen prayer centers the belief that a person is exactly where they’re supposed to be at any given time and place, creating a presence with all existence that is determined by the prayer itself.

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Tribally Contested Badger Mountain Solar Project Canceled By Developer

Energy developer Avangrid withdrew last month its longstanding permit application to build industrial-scale solar on a site sacred to the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and the Confederated Tribes and bands of the Yakama Nation. The proposed project site on Badger Mountain in central Washington straddles private land as well as public land owned by the Washington Department of Natural Resources.

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Chickasaw Nation Breaks Ground on One of Country’s Largest Native American Hospitals

Last week, Chickasaw Nation broke ground on what will be one of the largest Native American hospitals in the country. When complete, the 160-acre Chickasaw Nation Health Newcastle Medical Center campus, located at the intersection of Southwest 16th Street and U.S. Highway 62, will contain 12 buildings, including a hospital, outpatient clinic, and more than 23 medical specialties. “Today is the next step in our journey to provide quality, accessible healthcare,” Chickasaw Nation Governor Chris Anoatubby said at the July 31 groundbreaking ceremony.

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Peptides Find Their Way to the Public

Guest Opinion The FDA’s Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee met on Thursday and Friday, July 23-24, 2026, convening to consider whether seven peptides should be be made more widely available. Six of the seven received a green light, so to speak. This committee is subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), which requires its members to be non-federal employees. Its meetings must be open to the press, and its documents are subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

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As Screens Take Over, Advocates Say Play, Culture Are Key to Native Youth Mental Health

The answer to a growing mental health crisis in a world in which screens are omnipresent and social media is fueling a sense of despair among the nation's young people may be simple: get outside and play. That's according to a new report by Kaboom!, a nonprofit that builds playgrounds around the nation. The report was created in collaboration with…

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Homeland Security Sec. Markwayne Mullin (Cherokee) Faces Backlash from MAGA Allies Over Immigration Comments

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation, is facing an unusual wave of criticism—not from political opponents, but from some of President Donald Trump's most vocal supporters. The backlash erupted after Mullin suggested there is a distinction between legal and illegal immigration and said the United States should consider reforms to employment-based visa programs to address workforce shortages.

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Why Infrastructure Stewardship Starts With Knowing What You Own

Sponsored Storytelling. Tribal governments invest millions of dollars in clinics, administrative buildings, public safety facilities and other community infrastructure. Before leaders decide what to build next, however, they first need to understand the condition of what they already own. That is where Facility Condition Assessments (FCAs) are becoming an increasingly important planning tool under the Section 105(l) program. Rather than serving as inspection reports, FCAs help Tribal leaders understand the condition of their infrastructure, plan for future capital needs and document the future replacement costs that support Section 105(l) reserve planning.

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Don’t Let Washington Erase Tribal Voices from Historic Preservation

Opinion For more than three decades, tribal consultation has been a cornerstone of the federal historic preservation process under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).  The Trump administration is now seeking to weaken that framework and roll back decades of progress. The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the independent federal agency responsible for administering the Section 106 process, is considering sweeping changes to its regulations.

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Monday Morning (August 3, 2026): Articles You May Have Missed This Past Weekend

Happy Monday! Here are some of the articles you may have missed this past weekend: Michigan Supreme Court Overturns Line 5 Tunnel Permit, Delivering Major Victory for Tribal Nations In a significant victory for Tribal Nations and environmental advocates, the Michigan Supreme Court has overturned a key permit authorizing Enbridge Energy’s proposed Line 5 tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac, sending the project back to the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) for a new review.

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California Legislature to Honor Six Native Leaders During Annual California Native American Cultural Day

The California Legislative Native American Caucus will honor six Native leaders whose work strengthened Tribal communities, advanced Native rights, and preserved Indigenous cultures during the 2026 California Native American Cultural Day on Monday, Aug. 3. Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-San Bernardino), chair of the California Legislative Native American Caucus, announced this year's honorees, who will be recognized during ceremonies in both the California Assembly and Senate.

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Forest County Potawatomi Passes Ceremonial Ashes to Citizen Potawatomi Nation

Bodéwadmi Gathering 2026 With the exception of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced its cancellation, Potawatomi tribes and First Nations from the United States and Canada have gathered every year since 1994 for the Potawatomi Gathering. The annual event concludes with one of its most meaningful traditions: the passing of a cedar box containing the ashes from the fire that burned at the first Potawatomi Gathering.

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Native News Weekly (August 2, 2026): D.C. Briefs

WASHINGTON — In addition to articles already covered by Native News Online, here is a roundup of other news released from Washington, D.C. that impacts Indian Country recently. FDIC, OCC Propose Changes to Community Reinvestment Act Rules, Raising Concerns for Indian Country The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) on Friday proposed sweeping changes to regulations implementing the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), a 1977 law intended to ensure banks meet the credit needs of low- and moderate-income communities.

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Fiscal Stewardship Means Keeping Our Promises, No ARPA Chaos

Guest Opinion As federal pandemic relief funding sunsets this year, large and small governments across the country face an important test of their financial strategies. While all were reacting to intense economic turmoil and demand, some governments built ongoing obligations around one-time dollars and must now confront difficult cuts. Cherokee Nation took a different path, and I’m proud to be part of a government — made up of the executive, legislative and judicial branches — that leaves this fiscal era stronger and more resilient than ever.

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Photos from the Potawatomi Gathering Powwow

Bodéwadmi Gathering 2026 FOREST COUNTY POTAWATOMI CONFEDERACY, Wis. — There was excitement in the air as more than 5,000 Potawatomi citizens gathered in uppert Wisconsin this past week for the 2026 Potawatomi Gathering. Hosted by the Forest County Potawatomi Community, the Potawatomi Gathering kicked off on Monday with language workshops. On Friday, elected leaders and tribal business enterprise leaders from Potawatomi nations came together to discuss economic development strategies aimed at strengthening their tribal business enterprises, which ultimately strengthen their tribal nations.

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Michigan Supreme Court Overturns Line 5 Tunnel Permit, Delivering Major Victory for Tribal Nations

In a significant victory for Tribal Nations and environmental advocates, the Michigan Supreme Court has overturned a key permit authorizing Enbridge Energy's proposed Line 5 tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac, sending the project back to the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) for a new review. In its decision, the state's highest court ruled that the MPSC violated the Michigan Environmental Protection Act (MEPA) and failed to fulfill its obligations under Michigan's public trust doctrine when it approved Enbridge's tunnel permit in 2023.

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Federal Appeals Court Affirms Enbridge Trespassed on Bad River Reservation, Orders Line 5 Reroute

A federal appeals court has upheld a landmark ruling that Enbridge Energy is trespassing on the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa's reservation in northern Wisconsin, reinforcing Tribal sovereignty while requiring the Canadian pipeline company to relocate its controversial Line 5 pipeline. In a decision issued Thursday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit affirmed that Enbridge has been unlawfully operating portions of its Line 5 pipeline across Tribal lands after easements on several parcels expired in 2013.

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Food is Medicine, Native Mothers, Indian Health Service | Health Equity Round Up, July 31

In the past couple of weeks, a Native chef has released a much-anticipated memoir; a new study shows that the majority of Native maternal deaths are preventable; and the newest federally recognized tribe's future in the Indian Health Service is uncertain. Here is our latest roundup of Health Equity News across Indian Country. Food is Medicine The long-awaited memoir from Nephi Craig, “Our Knives Will Save Us: Dispatches from a White Mountain Apache Chef,” hit shelves earlier this month and is receiving rave reviews from critics and readers alike.

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Bodéwadmi (Potawatomi) Confederacy Adds Three New Members

Bodéwadmi Gathering 2026 FOREST COUNTY POTAWATOMI CONFEDERACY, Wis. – Dozens of Potawatomi leaders from the United States and Canada gathered Thursday for the Bodéwadmi (Potawatomi) Confederacy meeting at Potawatomi Casino Hotel Carter. The annual meeting brings together leaders of Potawatomi Tribal governments during the week-long Potawatomi Gathering to strengthen relationships and address issues of shared importance. This year's gathering, hosted by the Forest County Potawatomi Community, unites Tribal chairs and council members to discuss common challenges, advance shared priorities, and reaffirm the enduring bonds among the Potawatomi nations.

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Proposed Changes to Section 106 Rules Draw Strong Opposition from Tribal Organizations

Tribal Nations and preservation advocates are voicing strong opposition to proposed revisions by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) to the regulations implementing Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, arguing the changes would significantly weaken protections for sacred sites and diminish the federal government's obligation to consult with Tribal Nations before approving development projects. The proposed revisions would alter the regulations that guide how federal agencies identify and consider the effects of federally funded, licensed, or permitted projects on historic properties.

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US Senate Confirms Mark Cruz as Director of Indian Health Service

The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed Mark Cruz, a citizen of the Klamath Tribes, to serve as director of the Indian Health Service (IHS), making him the agency's 12th Senate-confirmed director and filling a leadership position that had remained vacant for more than a year. Cruz was nominated by President Donald Trump on June 1 and advanced through the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs following a confirmation hearing held in June.

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Next on Native Bidaské: President Gravelle on Line 5, Treaty Rights and Why Tribes Are Fighting to Protect the Great Lakes

Bay Mills Indian Community President Whitney Gravelle joins Native Bidaské to discuss Michigan's approval of the Line 5 tunnel project, the failure of tribal consultation, treaty rights, and what's next in the legal fight to protect the Great Lakes. For more than a decade, Tribal Nations across Michigan have fought to stop the Line 5 pipeline from operating beneath the Straits of Mackinac.

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Healthy, Culturally Tailored Meals Reduce Hospital Visits for Heart Disease on Navajo Nation

A first-of-its-kind study showed what Indian Country already knows: Food is medicine. Results of a randomized clinical trial conducted in the Navajo Nation were published earlier this week, revealing that culturally tailored meals led to fewer hospitalizations and emergency room visits for Native people with heart failure. The 12-week trial included 206 adults at two Indian Health Service sites on the Navajo Nation and provided participants with healthy meals made with locally sourced, traditional foods.

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Motorola Launches Indigenous Collections App to Help Preserve Ojibwe Language and Culture

Motorola and the Lenovo Foundation have unveiled the next phase of their Indigenous Languages Initiative with the launch of the Indigenous Collections app, a new digital platform created in partnership with the Rainy Lake Ojibwe community to preserve the Ojibwe language and the cultural knowledge it carries. The free Android app, which will be available through the Google Play Store, is designed to support Indigenous language and cultural revitalization by bringing together traditional stories, geographic landmarks, family history, and key vocabulary in a single platform.

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New Poll Shows Peggy Flanagan Expanding Lead in Minnesota Democratic U.S. Senate Primary

Native Vote 2026 Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (White Earth Ojibwe) has expanded her lead in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate, according to a new survey released Wednesday by Public Policy Polling (PPP). The poll found Flanagan leading U.S. Rep. Angie Craig 46% to 32% among likely Democratic primary voters, a 14-point margin that has doubled from the seven-point lead she held in a PPP survey conducted one month earlier.

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WEWIN Honors Ernie Stevens Jr. and Cheryl Stevens with Legacy of Leadership Award at 2026 Conference

The Women Empowering Women for Indian Nations (WEWIN) recognized the enduring legacy of the late Chairman Ernie Stevens Jr. and Cheryl Stevens with its prestigious Legacy of Leadership Award during the organization's annual conference held at River Spirit Hotel and Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The honor was presented during the Warrior Women Circle Recognition Luncheon, where leaders from across Indian Country gathered to celebrate Native women and Indigenous leadership.

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Chaos is the Only Election Plan Left

The Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to give it a green light to implement its attack on mail in voting. Sort of. The argument is a lot more circular than that. It says the agencies, the U.S. Postal Service and Homeland Security, have not issued final rules on Trump’s executive order so states and voting advocates have no standing to challenge the rules.

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Survey: Most Native Americans Open to Plant-Based Diets to Fight Chronic Disease

A plant-based diet can prevent and reduce chronic diseases that disproportionately affect Native communities, and most Native people are willing to adopt a plant-based diet. That's according to a newly published survey by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). The poll was conducted online among 156 Native American adults, excluding Alaska Natives and Pacific Islanders. Seventy-six percent reported at least one urgent health issue, with high blood pressure and mental health being the top concerns.

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Senate Indian Affairs Committee to Consider Five Tribal Water Rights Settlement Bills

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaiʻi), the committee's vice chair, will convene a legislative hearing on Wednesday, July 29, at 2:30 p.m. ET to consider five bills related to Tribal water rights settlements and implementation. The committee will receive testimony on: S. 3573, which would amend the Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act by extending certain deadlines for completion of the Regional Water System and making other technical changes.

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Deb Haaland Joins Postal Workers in Albuquerque to Oppose Privatization of U.S. Postal Service

Native Vote 2026 On Tuesday, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Deb Haaland joined members of the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Albuquerque Local 380 during a national day of action picket aimed at protecting public post offices from privatization and political interference. The American Postal Workers Union represents more than 200,000 United States Postal Service employees and retirees, advocating for fair wages, benefits, and safe working conditions.

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Shinnecock Indian Nation Receives Nearly $1 Million EPA Grant for Environmental Cleanup

The Shinnecock Indian Nation has been awarded more than $950,000 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through its Brownfields Assessment Grant Program, funding that will support environmental assessment, cleanup planning, and community engagement across Shinnecock Territory and neighboring areas. The grant will allow the Nation to evaluate potential brownfield sites throughout Southampton, Hampton Bays, and Shinnecock lands, including abandoned residences, beach properties, historic dump sites, and wetlands.

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